For years now Oak Park has, in various ways, understood it had complex challenges and some less articulated opportunities when it came to uplifting the legacy of Dr. Percy Julian and saving the historic Oak Park home he and his family lived in on East Avenue — and that his daughter Faith still lives in.
Dr. Julian was a pioneering chemist who invented products that changed the world. He is world famous for synthesizing cortisone, hormones and other products made from soybeans. Julian registered more than 130 patents during his career. He chose Oak Park for his family’s home at a time in the 1950s when Black families were not accepted in this village. Oak Park’s welcome comprised the firebombing of their home.
Real history that needs to be recognized.
Oak Park’s village board took two actions in finalizing its 2025 budget which will have a positive impact on amplifying and preserving the Julian legacy.
The village has now hired a planning consultant to begin work on a streetscape project honoring Julian on Chicago Avenue from East to Austin Boulevard. This is a worthy project that we look forward to watching develop.
In a last-minute budget addition, the board also set aside $1 million to be used in ways still to be determined to preserve the Julian home at 515 N. East Ave. This is complex. The home has physically deteriorated to a substantial degree over recent decades. Property taxes on the home have regularly fallen into arrears and the home typically turns up on Cook County tax sales list. Each year some last-minute solution is found to keep the home in Ms. Julian’s hands. Right now, taxes and interest owed on the property total $169,000.
A fundamental goal of all who have been involved in discussions has been to keep Faith Julian in her family’s home as long as she is able. That’s important. But there is also the truth that village tax dollars being spent on a private home is problematic, absent a quite detailed plan that will eventually create some sort of nonprofit entity, which will both preserve the home and give it uses that honor both Dr. and Mrs. Julian.
Now there is a fund in place and we await that more detailed plan.